LOVE SONG FOR EMILY br (for Emily Dickinson) br br You handed me br your eyes br br so that I could see br as you saw. br br I looking br in wonder br br seeing you sew br the world together br br in quick little stitches br br a perfect embroidery br of knowing br br drawing the thread through br & through br br until nimble as a needle br br I knew as you br knew. br br Oh Emily br I was always br br in love br br with the beauty of your eyes br br & how they saw br & said the world br br the quick dashes br of your mind br br like Braille br to my blindness br br the Morse Code br of your thought br br leading me through br the labyrinth of you br br bound br in a nut br shell br br until I arrived br at the beauty of your eyes br br and you handed me br your seeing br br and...I saw. br br br * * * br br Our English teacher’s voice commanding us to open our books at Emily Dickinson. Doing as I was told...I glanced down shyly at her words looking bravely up at me and immediately at once I fell in love! br br Our English teacher’s voice proclaiming “I don’t like teaching this woman…I don’t understand her! ” br br Oh Emily, I knew you as you knew me and had already eloped with your mind leaving only the empty shell of a schoolboy for the teacher to shout at! Us laughing...running away together...running through the wild woods of words...gathering words and turning them into the daisy chain of poems.